Improvement in horse-collars



nicht %tatc WILLIAM J. rnonu,

0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

Letters Patent No. 112,196, dated February 28, 1871.

,IMPROVEMENT lN HORSECOLLARS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. THORN, -of the city and county of New York, in the State of' New York, have invented certain Improvements in Horse- Collars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part of this specification, in which- Figure l, plate l, is a perspective view of one of the blanks or bolts from which the side pieces of the collar are made.

Figure 2, plate l, is a view of the blank after it is bent and before it is finished.

Figure 3, plate 1, show two of the side pieces fmished and ready for furnishing.

Figure 4, plate 1, is an edge view of one ofthe sidev pieces.

Figure 5, plate 2, shows the collar complete.

Figure (i, plate 2, is an edge view ot' the doublestrapped hinge for the top of the collar.

Figure 7, plate 2, is a `bottom View of the doublestrapped"hinge.

Figure 8, plate 2, is a sectional view, showing the devices for connecting together the hottpm ends of the collar-bars.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several gures.

This invention relates to certain novel/improvements on .the construction of the side bars of wooden collars, and also to certain novel devices for connecting togethcr the side bars.

The nature of 'my invention consists- First, in a wooden horse-collar, which is produced by steaming and bending its side bars, as will be hereinafter explained.

Second, in -a metallic hinged sheath or doublestrapped hinge for connecting together the, upper ends of the collar-bars bya single pintle, and at the same time strengthening the ends ot' the bars.

Third, in a strap-and-buckl connection for the lower ends of the collar-bars, in combination with a segment sheath, which will receive andkeep in place said ends ofthe collar-bars, as will he hereinafter explained.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, l will describe its construction and operation. p

Instead of sawing out the material to form the collar-blank, iig. 2, as has been hitherto practiced, I first produce a straight blank or bolt, as shown in iig. 1, and saw into its ends, as shown at tra. I then steam this straight piece and bend it around a suitable former, which will give to it the shape substantially as represented by fig. 2. In order to preserve this shape until the wood is properly seasoned a clamp or tiebar may he4 used, as indicated by dotted lines in lig. 2.

Kerfs a. c are made by means of a saw, for the purpose of facilitating the bending of the Wood, and also for the purpose ct' preserving the proper shape ofthe bars A in the finished collar.

It will be seen by reference to fig. 2 that the por- The bars, prepared as above described from narrow pieces of wood, are solid, substantial, and durable. They can be produced at a much less cost than collarbars which are sawed out ot wide pieces of wood, and they are less liable to break, as in the steamed and bent bars the grain of the wood is in a direction with the length of the bars at all points, which is of course not the case with sawed bars.

I connect the upper ends of the collar-bars A A together by a hinge-joint, which will allow the lowei` ends of these bars to be adjusted.

The peculiarity of this hinge is that it has foul" leaves or bracing-straps, which are constructed with interlocking eyes f, that allow the leaves to be connected together by a single pintle, b, shown in figs. (i and 7 The leaves B B' on each side ot' the -joint diverge, and are shaped so as to receive between them the tapered end ot' a bar, A.

The leaves are then secured in place by means of bolts, rivets, or screws, which firmly secure together the split ends of the bar and preserve the curvature given thereto.

` The leaves or straps B B B B'orm sheatns, which will strengthen and brace the ends of the collar-bars.

The leading-line rings C are secured to the collarbars by means of their screw-stems n, which pass. through the straps of the hinge and through the collar-bars.

The draft-irons g g are secured to the front of the collar, and constructed of flat plates, having perforated lugs formed on them. The neck-yoke rings, and also the tug-eyes, will be applied to the perfoin tions through said lugs.

The lower ends of the collar-bars A A. are shod with straps P P, shown in iig. 8, which are secured in place by means of long rivets 'i' lr. These rivets connect firmly together the split ends, and preserve the shape originally given to them.

For connecting together the lower ends of the hars A A, I employ a metal sheath, C, oi' such shape and made through the bottom of' the sheath, and alittle sheath O secured to it,a staple, o, is applied, through which the strap c is passed before itis 'ca-:Tied o vopening` o and buckled.

Y, able device, may be employed torkeep the lower ends required distance apart v.

size aswill neatly receive the tapered ends of the said bars. y

'lhis sheath ispermanently secured toone of the bars in any suitable manner, and between the npper side of such bar and 'a bridge, mof the sheath, a leather strap, c, is secured. '-.i

Beneath the bridge m a passage, t, for strap c, is

on one side of this passage 'v a buckle, l), .is pivoted to the bottom of the sheath.

To the end of the bar A, which does not 'have ut oi .Y The strap vc is intended Ato connect the lower ends of the collar-bars together within the sheath, and allow these ends of the bars to be separated, moreor less, to accommodate the collar tp the horse. n The sheath Q is intended lto prevent displacement of the lower ends of the collar, and to aiford a stift' connection.

,In practice, a spring latch, or a pin, or other suitof the collar separated at the after adjustment.

As a modification of my invention, in order to use lighter or thinner pieces of wood, and thus make available wastc strips in the construction of helse-collar bars, I may take two or more pieces of wood and bend -thc same into shape by the same processes as herein described, and glue them together after heilig thus bent, and then chamf'er olf or shape down vthe bent mass. A

Having described my invention, A

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let'- ters Patent, iss l 1. Wooden collarbars,when said bars are steamed and bent in the manner substantially as described. 2.A 'lhe curved straps B B B' B', united by the piutle b, adapted for the upper stays and joint of the'collarbars, and also as a support for the terrets, all in the manner described.

3. The sheath() and buckle D on one endof one of the collar-bars, in combination with theloop o on the other collar-bar, substantially as described.

WILLIAM J. THORN.

Witnesses:

' J. N. CAMPBELL, EDM. F. BROWN. 

